


You can't thwart destiny

by serendipitous_rambles



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: A reverse Romeo and Juliet?, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Shirbert, Slow Burn, takes inspiration from aladdin and princess and the pauper haha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-03-08 17:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18899530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: To unite two kingdoms, the families decide to form a union in the marriage of the two young royals: Princess Anne and Prince Gilbert.Neither are thrilled about the union and will do whatever it takes to see that it doesn't happen.





	1. Call me Cordelia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two powerful families ruled over neighbouring kingdoms. For decades there had been unrest between them. But when a prince and princess were born months apart, it appeared there may be hope for the future. That maybe they could unite the two kingdoms once and for all.

Anne studied her reflection in the mirror as the seamstress tugged and pulled at the fabric around her. She usually loved having a new dress made but this was no such occasion. She was having a dress made for the meeting of her future husband. Ever since she was little she knew one day she would be married off to the neighbouring prince to secure unity within the kingdoms. Her parents had died when she was just a baby, and as a result her mother's family Marilla and Matthew had taken over as almost acting king and queen until Anne came of age. Which would be soon after she was married.

 

It was unfair. She'd always dreamed of her wedding. She wanted it to be someone she fell in love with, not some unknown prince she'd never even met. 

 

But she was a princess and royal duty came before everything else, no matter how much her heart hurts.

 

"Anne."

 

She looked away from the mirror and turned around to see Diana, her closest friend and advisor. Marilla didn't approve of the first name calling but let it slide after all these years.

 

"You have a busy day. Tutoring, the meeting with the foreign ministers, not to mention etiquette lessons, piano lessons, singing lessons-"

 

Diana's voiced faded away as Anne drifted off into her imagination. She imagined she was a commoner instead of a princess. She had no duties, no one to tell her what to do or say. She was just... Anne. 

 

"Anne. Your  _ highness. _ " Diana only ever referred to her so formally when she was in trouble.

 

"I'm sorry Diana. Can't we just skip today's lessons?"

 

Diana looked down at her list shaking her head. "There's far too much to be done today. We couldn't possibly-"

 

Anne grabbed the list from her hands and threw it over her shoulder. The seamstress tutted at the disruption of her dressmaking and put her hands on her hips.

 

"What list?" Anne shrugged. "Diana please. I'm getting married soon to a complete stranger. Don't I deserve one day of freedom? I've hardly been outside the castle walls in my almost 18 years of life. Please."

 

Diana sighed. "Fine. But just for a little while. If we get caught it's all your fault."

 

Anne wrapped her arms around Diana. "Thank you so much."

 

"I beg your pardon your highness but the dress isn't finished yet."

 

"We'll finish it later." Anne was too focused on her upcoming adventure and ran to go get changed.

 

* * *

 

Diana managed to convince the stable boy Jerry to take them into the village in the carriage. He was clearly sweet on Diana.

 

When they arrived, Anne pulled the hood up on her cloak to obscure her hair. The last thing she needed was her ghastly red hair to cause any sort of riot from people recognising the princess. She just wanted one day of being normal.

 

Diana lead her through the streets. Anne's eyes roamed all around her. Everywhere about her were children running and laughing, people stopping to talk, sellers yelling to passers by. The village was vibrant, far more exciting than the palace.

 

There were so many different smells. They passed a fruit stall and she could smell all the strawberries and apples for sale; then there was a fishmonger's stall and she turned her nose up at the powerful contrast.

 

Then the air was filled with the most amazing smell. 

 

"Diana what is that most scrumptious smell?" Anne looked around to find the stall. 

 

"The bakery?" Diana gestured to the little stall with fresh baked bread and cakes and cookies and all sorts. "How about I buy us a snack?"

 

"Please, let me pay for it." Anne handed Diana a small bag of coins. "This should be enough, right?"

 

Diana's eyes grew wide, laughing at Anne's clear misunderstanding of the value of money. "This will be  _ more _ than enough."

 

There was a line, so Anne decided to explore a little more. Her feet were carrying her away before she even realised where she was going.

 

She made her way through the busy market square taking in all the sites. No one even noticed her. It was great.

 

Her hair was in two braids instead of the usual elaborate updos, and she wore her most simple dress to try and blend in as much as possible.

 

It was all so interesting seeing how people really lived. There were people performing on the streets, people carrying all sorts of interesting wares from the market. Anne wished she could live like this more.

 

Her eyes landed on a fountain in the middle of the square. No one was paying attention to it since it was such an everyday sight to them. Anne looked down into the water, seeing coins sunk to the bottom.

 

Wishes.

 

She felt around but forgot she had given Diana her bag of coins. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't make a wish anyway. If she firmly believed it would come true then why shouldn't it? Just being around the well would surely give her wish a little more authenticity.

 

She closed her eyes, holding her hands up to her chest before pretending to throw a coin in. She wished she wouldn't have to marry a stranger. She wished she could marry someone she loved. But there was no way that would ever come true.

 

"Pardon me miss," 

 

Anne jumped, turning around to the voice. Her hood fell down as she did so.

 

"I didn't mean to startle you." It was a boy about her age. His face was wrinkled with concern but he was handsome. Her heart stopped for a moment. 

His brown curls were poking out under a flat cap and he was in a scruffy brown patterned sweater. Suddenly even her simple gown felt overdressed.

 

He was smiling at her, holding a coin in his hands. She thought he had very nice hands considering he was a commoner and they didn't have such easy lives as she did.

 

"I just thought maybe you'd like a penny to wish on. Wishes are special and I think you should take every chance to make them come true, don't you think?"

 

She couldn't help but return his contagious smile. It shocked her, that someone who didn't have as much as her was still willing to give her a coin to throw away.

 

"No, I couldn't possibly take it."

 

"Please," he insisted, "this coin was destined to be a wish. I don't have anything to wish for, it would be a shame to waste it."

 

She hesitated before taking the coin, ignoring the feeling passing between them as their hands briefly touched.

 

He watched as she closed her eyes and threw the coin into the fountain.

 

She wished she could see him again one day, but knew this was one wish that couldn't come true…

 

"I'm Gil," he held out his hand and she shook it. He didn't seem to know who she was.

 

"Uh, I'm…" she tried to think of a fake name just in case. "Cordelia."

 

He nodded, still holding her hand in his. "Nice to meet you Cordelia."

 

"Nice to meet you, Gil."

 

She wanted to treasure this moment. It seemed like something in a fairytale. He was polite and charming, and he liked her for her, not because she was a princess.

 

They walked around the town, Gil stopping to buy her a rose from the florist stall. Anne didn't want it to end knowing that once it was over, she'd have to return to her life of rules and restrictions and marrying a random prince.

 

"There you are!" Diana caught sight of Anne. She was holding two small cakes wrapped in paper.

 

"Diana." Anne stopped, Gil confusedly looking between them. "Uh, Gil this is my friend Diana."

 

"Pleasure to meet you." He shook her hand, bowing as he did so.

 

"The pleasure is all mine." Diana mouthed "he's cute" over the top of his head when he bowed.

 

"We should be going." Diana said, once Gil had released her hand. 

 

"Already?" Anne sighed, looking up at Gil.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"I hope I can see you again someday." Gil kissed Anne's hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Cordelia."

 

"Cordelia?" Diana whispered in Anne's ear.

 

"I'll explain on the carriage home." She whispered back. "Goodbye Gil."

 

He smiled and stepped backwards, giving them a little wave as he walked away.

 

She knew she was never going to see him again, and savoured every last second watching him before he got lost in the crowd.


	2. A tragic romance

"He was handsome." Diana said as they climbed in the carriage.

 

Jerry's ears pricked up at that comment. "Who?"

 

"No one." Anne quickly cut in.

 

"The boy she was talking to."

 

Jerry scoffed and the carriage began to move.e

 

"It doesn't matter Diana since I'll never see him again. I'm meeting my future husband tomorrow, remember?"

 

Anne sighed leaning back in her seat. She was doomed for a tragical romance it seemed.

 

Diana opened her mouth to say something but changed the subject.

 

"How about those cakes? Weren't they delicious?"

 

"Yes. Thank you Diana." Anne managed a smile before looking off into the distance.

* * *

"What were you thinking?!" Marilla shouted as Anne tried to creep up the palace stairs. Her voice echoed around the large empty space.

 

The staircase split in two around the edge of the ballroom. Marilla had been running down one set as Anne tried to escape up the other.

 

"You left us worried sick!" Marilla caught her at the top of the stairs. "Leaving without warning? We almost had the guards out looking."

 

Anne lowered her cloak hood. "I'm sorry. Truly I am, Marilla. But I wanted one last taste of freedom. You can't possibly imagine what it's like to know you're marrying someone you don't even love."

 

Marilla sighed, "You're right. I can't possibly imagine. But nonetheless it is happening. And it would do you well to accept it. It was your parents wish to unite the kingdoms. He could be a kindred spirit after all."

 

"I don't hold much hope for that now." Anne shook her head. "My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes." She sighed and headed to her room.

 

"This doesn't excuse your behaviour today!" Marilla called after her, but she let her go. Anne would do the right thing, she was a princess after all.

* * *

 

"Blythe, you're playing a dangerous game." Bash watched as Gilbert strolled oh so casually back to their lodgings.

 

"I was just having a little fun." Gilbert removed his cap and placed it on the little table. "I wanted to get out and see the village before I'm forced to marry this random princess."

 

Bash approached him. "You could have been recognised."

 

"Relax, no one in this Kingdom knows who I am."

 

"Did you speak to anyone?"

 

Gilbert hesitated. "...no."

 

"Don't lie to me Blythe."

 

"Fine. I met a girl. Big deal."

 

Bash pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're a prince. You have a duty. Do you remember what your promised your father before he died?"

 

Gilbert nodded, he remembered promising his father he'd follow his duty and do what was best for the kingdom. Once he was married, he would be king.

 

"I know…"

 

Bash sighed. "And I promised him I'd keep an eye on you. But you're not making my job easy."

 

Gilbert sat down at the table and Bash followed.

 

"I'm sorry, Bash."

 

"Now, about this girl." Bash laughed, back to his usual teasing mood.

 

Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix had been Gilbert's advisor and best friend since he was little. Bash was like his older brother, and since his father had died, he was the person who cared about Gilbert the most. He'd agreed to allowing him to stay in lodgings in the village before they were to go to the palace. But no where had he agreed to letting him run wild.

 

"She was...nothing like any girl I'd ever seen. Beautiful red hair." He sighed. "But it doesn't matter since I'm never going to see her again."

 

"A tragic romance, eh Blythe?"

 

Gilbert laughed, shaking his head. He stood up and retired to his room.

 

"You're avoiding the question." Bash called after him.

* * *

 

 

Anne nervously paced up and down her room, the hairdresser trying to make last minute adjustments.

 

"Your highness please stand still."

 

"Sorry." She smiled weakly and stopped in front of the mirror, but her foot was still tapping anxiously.

 

"You look marvellous Anne." Marilla entered the room.

 

Anne clutched her stomach. "My stomach feels like it's full of a thousand butterflies all fluttering about."

 

"You're just nervous." Marilla rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. "Your parents would be so proud of you for following your duty. _I'm_ proud of you. And Matthew would be too."

 

Anne looked down, "I wish he was here."

 

Matthew had died a few years ago, leaving just Marilla in charge.

 

"So do I." Marilla hugged Anne then leaned back to assess her appearance. "I think you're just about ready."

 

"I suppose so…"

 

 

 


	3. A quick turn

All the palace's servants were waiting in the ballroom to witness the meeting, Diana among them had made sure everyone's uniforms were looking their best.

 

Even Jerry had been dragged out and made to look "presentable" as Diana called it.

 

The doors of the ballroom opened, and trumpets played. Diana turned her head to see the prince and she felt her stomach drop to her feet. He looked... familiar. He was-

 

"Presenting his Royal Highness Prince Gilbert." The herald shouted.

 

He was the boy from the market place?

 

"Accompanied by his royal advisor, Mr Sebastian Lacroix."

 

Diana wasn't sure how Anne would take this. Either she'll be really happy or heartbroken. There was no telling which.

 

Gilbert nervously adjusted his suit. He hated dressing up like this, but he had to make a good impression.

 

He waited in the ballroom at the bottom of the stairs, dreading the moment his life would be changed.

 

"Blythe, relax." Bash whispered to him. "She's a princess, that means she's bound to be pretty."

 

Gilbert rolled his eyes, "That's not what I care about. I just wish we didn't have to meet with all this ceremony. How am I supposed to really get to know her if it's in front of all these people?"

 

Bash was about to make some comment about having plenty of time after they were married but the trumpets had started again.

 

"Presenting Her Grace, Duchess of Avonlea." The herald called and Marilla descended the stairs towards Gilbert.

 

She curtsied and he bowed politely in return. Bash then bowed to her, kissing one of her hands. Gilbert tried to hold back his laughter.

 

The herald shouted again, and Gilbert felt himself tense.

 

"Presenting Her Royal Highness Princess Anne."

 

Gilbert looked up and his heart stopped. Anne froze at the top of the stairs as their eyes met.

 

Marilla watched nervously between them.

 

Anne finally made her way slowly down the stairs to stop in front of Gilbert. 

 

They exchanged bows and curtsies before continuing to stare at each other in disbelief.

 

"You!" Anne shrieked. "You dirty, lying…" she couldn't think of the right word so settled for "boy!" 

 

She got up into Gilbert's face and stomped hard on his foot...in her heels. 

 

"Anne!" Marilla shouted, their audience gasping. There would certainly be some gossip in the servants quarters tonight.

 

Marilla watched her run away up the marble staircase, Diana following after. 

 

"I apologise deeply for Anne's behaviour. I don't know why she acted like this."

 

"I think I might know." Gilbert was hopping about, clutching his foot.

* * *

 

Diana found Anne on her balcony.

"That was him?" 

Anne didn't turn around and instead nodded sadly. 

Diana placed a hand on Anne's shoulder. "I thought you'd be glad? He's not a stranger anymore."

"He lied to me."

"You also lied to him." 

Anne blankly stared at Diana. "That doesn't help."

"Why are you so upset?"

Anne sighed. "I don't know... because I guess I thought he was different. But he's a prince. I didn't want to get married and it feels like some kind of betrayal against myself. He just wants the throne like everyone else."

"You don't know that."

"I'm sorry I ever laid eyes on him." She folded her arms. "I've not given up. I'm more determined than ever to stop this wedding."

* * *

The moment Marilla left to go find Anne, Bash burst into laughter.

"She's feisty alright."

Gilbert playfully shoved him. "Hey."

"I take it she was the girl you met in the village?"

"Yeah. But she wasn't like this before."

"She's probably just in shock."

"So am I. But you don't see  _ me  _ stomping on people's feet." Gilbert looked at his shoes with a footprint on them. "These were freshly shined this morning."

Marilla appeared at the top of the stairs alone.

"I'm so sorry for Princess Anne's behaviour. But I assure you she will be better behaved at the ball tonight. I hope you will still do us the honour of attending."

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Gilbert bowed politely, but in all honesty he couldn't think of anything worse than attending a ball with... _ her. _

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you've ever seen princess diaries 2, i was picturing that moment when mia crushes nicholas' foot when they meet again


	4. Carrots

Bash watched Gilbert pace up and down the room, muttering to himself.

 

"Blythe you're going to make me feel sea sick with all this moving about."

 

Gilbert stopped in front of Bash. "I mean who does she think she is? She's a princess but I'm a  _ prince.  _ We're of equal status but she acts like she's better than me?"

 

Bash looked up blankly having zoned out after ten minutes of Gilbert ranting on about Anne.

 

"She seemed so genuine back in the village. You know this is exactly how I thought it would go."

 

"That you'd get your foot stamped on?" Bash said trying to hide his laughter.

 

"No. That she'd be a stuck up princess. Just like every other princess. I thought she was different."

 

Bash stood up, pointing at Gilbert. "You're not giving her a chance."

 

"She didn't give me one."

 

Bash pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Sometimes it was painful dealing with a teenage prince. 

 

"Be the bigger man."

 

Gilbert sighed. "Fine. I can give her another chance."

 

* * *

 

  
  


"They're all the same Diana. Each and every one of them." Anne was also pacing in her room. 

 

"Absolutely." Diana nodded. She'd learned it was best to simply agree whenever Anne got into one of her rants.

 

"I thought maybe he's different. But then when I saw he was the boy from the village….it just made me feel so betrayed. I bet he was just out looking for a young girl to woo with his dumb smile and whole wishing in a fountain speech. I bet that wasn't real."

 

"You don't know Anne... maybe he wants to get to know you."

 

"Sure. That's what they all say. Remember that prince Roy? He gave me all those gifts but there was nothing authentic about him. He just wanted to get to know me to."

 

"Maybe he's different…"

 

Anne laughed as if that was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "Oh yeah and Jerry is suddenly funny."

 

Diana shyly shook her head. "Don't bring him into this…"

 

Anne regretted that a little bit. Sometimes she spoke before thinking. Marilla had tried to teach her not to since being a princess meant having to be careful of your every word, but it never had been her strong point, especially when passionate.

 

"I'm just saying...princes are always only after one thing. The crown. And it's agony beyond compare that the one boy I thought was different, turns out to be the same one I was destined to hate."

 

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Destined to hate?"

 

"Well I had firmly set my mind on hating whoever was chosen so that I could convince Marilla not to go through with it."

 

"You are a funny one Anne." 

 

* * *

 

 

Gilbert and Anne were expected to make their first public appearance together at the ball. Neither were too thrilled about it.

 

"You are to enter together." Marilla said, instructing Anne before meeting Gilbert. "You are to dance. And please put on a smile. We can't have the kingdom think you're being held prisoner."

 

"Being held prisoner would be better than this." Anne muttered under her breath.

 

Marilla tutted. "Princesses don't mumble Anne."

 

Anne gave her a fake smile and she walked off to see where Gilbert and Bash had gotten to.

 

Anne waited at the top of the stairs, but Gilbert was running late. Typical prince. "Where is he?

 

Finally Gilbert showed up with a smug look on his face. Anne decided she would ignore him.

 

"Your highness." He bowed but she didn't look at him. She simply folded her arms and turned her head away.

 

"Alright." He raised an eyebrow and copied her posture.

 

Marilla and Bash walked past. They were about to descend the stairs. Marilla gave Anne a disapproving look for her behaviour. Anne reluctantly unfolded her arms but still refused to look at Gilbert.

 

They waited in agonising silence for their names to be called.

 

"Your highness, if I may…?" Gilbert held his arm up in offer for her to take. He'd rather let her enter by herself but the prince in him was raised to be chivalrous. Besides, he knew it would not look good to have two newly betrothed - he supposed they were now - nobility to enter as if they were enemies.

 

She pretended as if she hadn't heard him.

 

"Anne." He said, dropping all formalities. 

 

She didn't respond. 

 

"Hey." He waved his arm. "We're supposed to walk down arm in arm."

 

She patted down her dress and Gilbert grew annoyed.

 

"Hey carrots." He grabbed a stray hair from down her back and gave it a light tug.

 

That did it. Anne was insecure about her red hair, cursing it for being so bright. Princesses were supposed to be beautiful and perfect but she was doomed to have this awful red hair. 

 

She slapped him across the face, his crown falling to the floor. "How dare you!"

 

He picked up his crown and tried to examine his face in the gold reflection. "Ow?" 

 

"Did I ruin your perfect prince face?"

 

He put his crown on his head after checking there was no mark, she hadn't actually hit him too hard. "Why are you being like this?"

 

"Because you-" she was interrupted by the loud trumpets announcing their names.

 

"Presenting their royal Highnesses: Prince Gilbert and Princess Anne."

 

The guests erupted into gentle applause, whispering between them about their relationship.

 

Anne and Gilbert smiled as they walked down the stairs, Anne tightened her grip on Gilbert's arm to let him know she was still angry.

 

"Now for the Prince and Princess to open the ball." Marilla said, gesturing for Anne and Gilbert to have the first dance of the evening.

 

"Let's get this over with." He whispered in her ear.

 

"Gladly."

 

Gilbert bowed and Anne curtsied as the orchestra began playing.

 

He took her hand and they began to waltz slowly.

 

"You want to know why I'm mad at you?" Anne said once other people had joined in the dance and the attention was no longer on them.

 

"Yes."

 

"You lied to me." 

 

Gilbert almost laughed. "Seriously? Are we forgetting  _ you _ lied to  _ me _ ?"

 

"You said your name was Gil."

 

"It is...kind of. It's short for Gil _ bert _ . At least I didn't say my name was Cordelia. That's not even close to Anne!!!"

 

"I thought you were a villager I couldn't have you figuring out my identity."

 

"Then you understand why I did it."

 

They were still dancing, talking in hushed whispers.

 

"Can't we just start over?" He shrugged.

 

She shook her head. "I don't want to get married. I don't need a husband right now."

 

"Like it or not it's happening."

 

"Oh you're so sure about that?" She narrowed her eyes.

 

"Look, I'm not happy about this."

 

"The feelings mutual."

 

"But I hope we can make the best of this situation."

 

"I can't. I can't ever make the best of a situation where my life is being taken from me. Where my one dream of marrying for love is destroyed in front of my eyes. I can't ever forgive someone for doing this to me."

 

"You're being dramatic." Gilbert sighed.

 

"You're being rude. How dare you insult my hair!"

 

"You were being a spoiled brat."

 

Anne stopped dancing. Gilbert didn't mean it. He didn't like her, but he still didn't want to be mean.

 

"Anne wait I didn't-"

 

But she had stepped away and begun weaving throughout the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever I write an au I always have to find a way to get the whole "carrots" incident in because it's just so iconic


	5. Fight or flirt?

Anne ran out into the courtyard for a breath of air. Diana had been watching from the sidelines and went to see if she was ok.

 

"Who does he think he is? Me? Spoiled? Says the prince who has everything!" Anne muttered.

 

"I'm sure he didn't mean-" Diana started to say but Anne cut her off.

 

"I'm sure he did."

 

She heard footsteps behind her. "Princess."

 

Great. "I'm not talking to you!" She turned around, expecting to see Gilbert but it was his companion.

 

"Pardon me, Sebastian." She curtsied. He seemed alright considering who he was accompanying.

 

"Bash is fine your highness." He waved a hand dismissively. "I want to apologise on behalf of Prince Gilbert."

 

"Why doesn't he apologise himself?" She folded her arms. He couldn't even apologise now?

 

"I was _going_ to if Bash actually gave me a chance." Gilbert caught up with them.

 

"I didn't want you to mess it up. You have a habit of doing that, Blythe."

 

Gilbert squinted his eyes and nodded, waving Bash away. He bowed to Anne before leaving.

 

Diana decided she should also leave. "I'll be inside, Anne."

 

Once they were alone, Gilbert cleared his throat.

 

"I would like to formally apologise to the princess for hurting her feelings." He looked her in the eyes as he did so, telling her he truly meant it.

 

But she wasn't sure. "I can't forgive you for calling me such awful names."

 

"I know. And I deserved that slap." He touched the side of his face where she'd hit him. "I'm not happy about this whole marriage thing either….so I propose a truce."

 

"A truce?"

 

"Yeah. An alliance between us to stop the marriage from happening." He held out his hand to her.

 

She hesitated. She'd promised Marilla... she'd promised her parents. But at the end of the day didn't her happiness come first. She knew a princess should put duty before anything else but surely sometimes there were exceptions.

 

"Alright. But this doesn't mean I forgive you." She shook his hand.

 

"Fine by me, Princess." He released her hand. "We should probably head back before people start wondering where we are."

 

"I'm not ready to go back in just yet." Anne said. "Can we walk around the gardens a little more?"

 

Gilbert nodded.

 

They walked a safe distance apart, Gilbert with his hands by his sides and Anne running her hand along every flower as they went.

 

"So why does Bash call you "Blythe"? Seems odd for a servant."

 

"Why does Diana call you Anne?" He gave her a smug smile as he mimicked her, "seems odd for a servant."

 

"Touche." Anne huffed. "But why "Blythe"?"

 

"Well it is my last name?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow as if it were the most obvious answer.

 

"Yeah but I've never heard a prince go by his last name before." She plucked a leaf from a nearby Bush and began absentmindedly playing with it as they walked.

 

"Bash thinks he's funny." Gilbert lightly chuckled to himself. "Like a pun on "blithe" meaning being light-hearted, showing cheerful indifference or seeming improper-"

 

"I know what blithe means." Anne interrupted.

 

Gilbert raised his hands defensively and they resumed the silence.

 

"You seem like a proper prince." Anne continued.

 

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't know anything about me."

 

"I know you lie and you just go up to girls on the street thinking you can just charm them with your stupid smile and sparkly eyes-"

 

"You think I have sparkly eyes?" He grinned again, that smile that caught her the first time.

 

Anne threw the leaf in her hand to the floor in anger. "No I never, I wasn't...ugh!"

 

Gilbert was laughing. "How does that make me a proper prince?"

 

Anne stopped walking and looked up at him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Because I've met them before. You all act charming and expect us princesses to fall at your knees. Well I've seen through your disguise and I _won't_ fall for it."

 

"Indeed." He nodded solemnly and she rolled her eyes, removing her finger.

 

"Let's go back. Marilla will be wondering where I am."

 

"How exactly do we plan on ruining this engagement?"

 

"We'll discuss it tomorrow. Library, 9 am sharp. Or is that too early for his royal highness?" She bowed sarcastically.

 

When she straightened up, Gilbert stepped close to her. "That's perfect."

 

His eyes subtly looked her up and down before stepping back with a smirk on his face, leaving Anne confused at what just happened. Was he... flirting or fighting?

 

* * *

 

 

After the ball, Anne retired to her room, sitting on her bed and talking to Diana.

 

"He scrubs up well." Diana laughed, recalling the moment Jerry walked in to the ball.

 

In other kingdoms, servants didn't usually attend the balls, but Marilla and Anne decided that they deserved an evening off. Once all their duties were done they were allowed to attend the ball, provided they were able to at least dress smartly.

 

"If you say so…" Anne rolled her eyes. Jerry had been the stable boy for years now. He'd helped her learn to ride a horse and was almost like a weird brother. 

 

"He even asked me to dance." 

 

"I didn't know he could!"

 

"Just because you were dancing with prince  _ dreamy. _ "

 

Anne scrunched up her face. "Gilbert is not dreamy."

 

"I know you've seen lots of princes but you can't deny he isn't one of the most handsome you've met."

 

Anne shrugged. Ok maybe Diana was right. Objectively he _ was  _ handsome. But that didn't matter. She didn't know how annoying he could be.

 

Before she could dispute it, Marilla knocked on the door.

 

"I beg your pardon Diana, but I'd like to speak to Anne."

 

"Of course." Diana curtsied as she left the room, no doubt going to find Jerry.

 

Marilla set on the end of Anne's bed.

 

"Did you have a good time tonight?"

 

Anne shrugged. "It was ok."

 

"Anne," Marilla sighed, "you can't keep acting like this. What would the kingdom think if they saw their princess slapping a neighbouring prince?"

 

"They'd say he deserved it."

 

"What did I say about mumbling?"

 

"I can't marry him Marilla. I just can't."

 

"I know it's hard," she reached out for Anne's hand. "And I've tried my best to raise you to be the best princess you can be, but it's a big ask of you to marry. Your parents arranged this years ago."

 

"But why? I don't see how our marriage is going to unite the kingdoms. It's not like we're at war or anything."

 

"No, that's true. But there's something I need to tell you…"

 

Anne pulled her hand away, "Marilla?"

 

Marilla sighed, "For years now, our kingdom has been... struggling."

 

"So we need a king?" Anne scoffed. "I'm capable of running the kingdom by myself. I don't need a king."

 

"No...but you can't run a kingdom without money."

 

"What?" Why hadn't Marilla told her this before.

 

"That's why we're doing this. So we can have their money. And if we join the two kingdoms, it's extra power and trade for them. Not to mention an heir. It all seemed like a good plan."

 

"But…"

 

"We've had this deal for years now. The money has almost run out."

 

Anne bit her lip as she let it sink in. But then it hit her.

 

"So if someone were to find a stable source of money for the kingdom...the wedding could be called off?"

 

"Anne I don't see how that's possible."

 

But Anne pretended to yawn to stop Marilla talking. "Oh I'm feeling so tired from the ball. I think I better get some sleep."

 

"Of course." Marilla nodded and squeezed Anne's arm. "Goodnight."

 

"Goodnight." 

 

Anne now had her way to finally say goodbye to Gilbert once and for all...


	6. The good doctor

Anne had learned that the reason for this marriage was to keep the kingdom going bankrupt. All she had to was come up with a way to find a different source of money.

 

She arranged to meet Gilbert in the library and form a temporary alliance to stop their wedding.

 

At 9 am sharp she burst into the library but of course he wasn't there. Typical princes being late for everything.

 

She decided she wasn't going to wait for him and instead started scouring the shelves for anything on Avonlea that might give her some idea of how they can find income for the kingdom.

 

The library was Anne's favourite place in the palace, the shelves were up to the ceiling and there were hundreds of books to read. She ran her hand along the shelves as she made her way to the nonfiction section but stopped short when she caught sight of a shape hunched over a book.

 

It was Gilbert, scribbling something in a notebook beside him on the floor.

 

"We do have desks you know." 

 

Anne's voice made him jump. Quickly he slammed the book shut and tried to hide whatever it was he was writing.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Waiting for you. You're late." He stood up, dusting himself off. He was wearing a brown sweater vest with his shirt sleeves rolled up. He looked far different than yesterday, more like how he was dressed when she first met him in the village.

 

She didn't have the luxury of dressing down but still had a more comfortable dress than last night.

 

"We said nine sharp." She folded her arms. "And besides, a princess is never late. Everyone else is simply early."

 

He raised an eyebrow at that comment.

 

"What are you reading anyway?" Anne tried to snatch the book out of his hand but he held it above her head.

 

"None of your business."

 

"It is my business because it's my library." She sneakily reached behind his back where he had held the notebook and grabbed it out his hand instead.

 

"No wait-"

 

She looked at the page. It was filled with sketches of bones and words she didn't know.

 

"What is this?" She continued flicking through the pages and Gilbert sighed, lowering the other book he'd been holding. It read:  _ The basics of anatomy _ .

 

"It's nothing...a hobby."

 

"Bones are a hobby?" She furrowed her brow. "I'm glad this wedding isn't happening."

 

"My hobby isn't bones." He said defensively. "Forget it... it's stupid. Just a dumb dream."

 

Anne looked up from the book, her mocking smile fading a little. She believed dreams were serious.

 

"No, what's your dream?"

 

He seemed vulnerable for the first time, but sighed resignedly, knowing she wasn't going to let it go.

 

"Don't laugh, I know it's silly but I've always wanted to be a doctor."

 

"But you're a prince." 

 

He snatched the book back from her. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

 

"No. I do." She quickly said. 

 

He shook his head, "No you don't. I'm not allowed to do what I want because I've had this fate set out for me since the day I was born."

 

Anne felt her face grow warm from anger. They had genuinely just shared a moment but he ruined it by being rude.

 

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course I have dreams! I want to be a writer! And you don't think I'd rather be exploring the world than stuck cooped up inside this palace having to be married to  _ you _ !"

 

"Well I don't want to be married to you either!"

 

They stood staring at each other for a moment with heated gaze. Finally Anne closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

 

"We agreed on a truce."

 

"We're not doing good job of that, are we?" Gilbert laughed lightly. 

 

It was funny, Anne didn't think she'd ever heard a prince laugh. The ones she'd met had always been so serious and boring. It was refreshing.

 

His laugh was contagious and soon she let out a little giggle.

 

"This is stupid.  _ We're _ being stupid." She said once she finished laughing. "Let's just start looking for a way to end this."

 

He nodded, his eyes seemed to have a warmer look than before. 

 

They started walking through the library. "Marilla told me that we need money. So if we find a way to get a stable source of income to the kingdom...it might just be enough to not need the marriage."

 

Gilbert started scanning the shelves. He climbed the ladder to reach the higher shelves while Anne looked on the lower shelves.

 

"If you want a stable income, you probably want to find things to trade. Avonlea isn't exactly our best trading partner but there may be something we can find." His fingers roamed across the spines of the books until he came across one. "This could have something."

 

He held it down for Anne to reach and she took it to one of the desks - making a point that they existed since she didn't want him sitting on the floor again - to start reading it.

 

He climbed down and joined her. 

 

"Geography of Avonlea?" Anne began reading. "How is this going to work?"

 

"Maybe there's some crops you've never tried to grow that would be perfect for the conditions here?"

 

Anne shrugged. They'd tried but Avonlea's only real export was apples. For some reason they had hundreds of orchards and that was all that would grow. But it wasn't lasting.

 

They'd been searching for hours but failing. 

 

"I think we should take a break." Gilbert stood up, stretching his arms. "We're probably too tired to focus."

 

His stomach rumbled. "And I think I'm hungry." 

 

Anne laughed, closing the book. "Lunch is probably going to be served soon. I'll meet you in the dining hall, I just have to wash up before Marilla comments on my appearance."

 

She gestured to the dust from the old books that had gathered on her dress.

 

"I'll see you in a bit." Gilbert smiled and went to leave but Anne lightly touched his arm to stop him in his place.

 

"For the record…" Anne said, looking down at her hand on his arm, "I think it's nice that you have a dream. And I hope one day you'll get there, no matter what people say."

 

He seemed taken aback by her sudden kindness, but be smiled. "Thank you. And I hope you get your dream of seeing the world someday too, and write all about it."

 

As she walked back to her room, Anne couldn't help but smile. If she  _ had _ to plot a scheme in order to not get married, she was glad it was with Gilbert.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a little while between chapters because i was busy moving back home from uni for the summer so there's been a lot of packing and unpacking...fun.
> 
> But i'm back! Still have some to unpack but i'm now free for the summer xx


	7. You take my breath away... literally

"Anne, wake up." Diana knocked on Anne's door in the morning.

 

She burst in with a team of seamstresses. 

 

"Diana what is this?" Anne sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair to try and smooth it down.

 

"You're trying on wedding dresses."

 

Anne felt her stomach drop. She'd been so busy figuring out how to stop the wedding that she forgot preparations would still be going on.

 

Diana grabbed her hand and pulled her to stand in front of the mirror while the seamstresses measured her and held different fabrics up to test colours. It had been a day she'd always dreamed of, but not like this. Not under these circumstances.

 

Seeing herself in this dress just made her sad. 

 

"I need some air." Anne picked up her skirts and made a run for the door. Once again the seamstress tutted but Diana let Anne go.

 

Anne ran down the hall, looking back over her shoulder to see if she was being followed. She wasn't looking where she was going and hit into someone, both of them falling to the floor.

 

She looked down at Gilbert who was wincing after having the air knocked out of him. 

 

His vision came into focus and he rubbed his head, "Am I dreaming?"

 

He thought maybe the fall had knocked him out as Anne couldn't be in a wedding dress.

 

She looked down, their faces still really close. She'd forgotten how handsome he was. Wait, what was she  _ doing _ ?! 

 

She pushed herself away from him and stood up. He sat up, still rubbing his head, but a dumb smile started to form.

 

She felt self conscious under his gaze and remembered her state of dress. 

 

"I needed some air." 

 

"So you took mine?" He laughed as he stood up but she didn't join in. "I was just kidding…" his smile dropped.

 

"This isn't a laughing matter! Look at me! I'm in a wedding dress!"

 

"You don't look that bad."

 

"Gilbert," she folded her arms, "we're supposed to be stopping this. But we haven't done a good job."

 

He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm working on it."

 

She relaxed her arms, "I know. I'm sorry."

 

They awkwardly stared at each other for a moment.

 

"I was thinking," he nervously ran a hand through his hair, "maybe we could get out to the village again sometime. For a fresh change of scenery. It's good for the mind…"

 

Anne froze, but she could do with getting out of here. "Alright. For... business reasons."

 

"Absolutely. For businesses reasons." He nodded.

 

"Uh, I'll meet you in the library." 

 

"I'll be waiting, princess." He held back a grin, glancing one last time at Anne as he turned to leave. 

 

She felt herself blush thinking about how he had looked at her. 

 

"Anne!" Diana came running, "Are you alright?"

 

Anne nodded, "I'm fine Diana. Let's just finish this." She gestured to the dress and tried to put Gilbert out of her mind for now.

* * *

 

 

After her dress fitting, Anne went to try and find Gilbert so they could go the village. As she walked she felt giddy with excitement but told herself it was just the thought of going to the village again and had nothing whatsoever to do with Gilbert.

She found him sitting on the large windowsill, leaning back against the wall, his legs stretching across the rest of the windowsill. As she got closer, she saw that in fact that she had mistaken a pensive look for him actually being asleep. Typical.

The sun was shining through the window into his face and it made Anne stop short. He was at peace. The sun shone on his dark hair but it actually made it look more brown, a warm golden colour even. There was a book against his chest.

Anne rolled her eyes, knowing it was probably another doctor book but when she stopped in front of him, she saw it was Jane Eyre. Her favourite book.

She'd read that copy hundreds of times, circled passages and made little notes in the corners. Suddenly she felt as if he'd somehow invaded her privacy. That he was looking at something so secret and intimate...but it was just words on a page.

Part of her wanted to snatch it out of his hand, hide it away from his eyes...but the other half of her realised maybe Gilbert _ was  _ a kindred spirit. After all, he clearly appreciated good literature.

"Gilbert." Anne said sharply, waking him up. 

He startled from her sudden shout, dropped the book and tumbled off the window.

"I was just resting my eyes." He said quickly, picking up the book as he stood up. "Oh, I guess this is yours."

He handed her the book. "I love this story. Seems as though you're also particularly fond of it." He smiled.

"It's one of my favourites." She said, holding it against her chest as some kind of guard. But she didn't know why she needed protection, it was only Gilbert. Though now she wasn't too sure what that meant.

He held her gaze for a little too long and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear before continuing. "Shall we go? Jerry has the carriage ready."

"Lead the way."

 


	8. Mysterious stranger

The carriage ride was quiet, but not uncomfortable. They were both busy looking at the view passing by.

 

Jerry agreed to meet them back in the square in a few hours, giving them plenty of time to explore.

 

Anne still loved the thrill of being undercover. No one knew who she was. She had no duties, no lessons, no nothing. She was just Anne.

 

Gilbert seemed to feel the same, his gait seemed bouncier somehow as he walked.

 

"Look!" Anne suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him towards a where a large crowd had gathered.

 

A band was playing a song, upbeat and happy. People began to dance and clap along to the music. Gilbert watched Anne watching the crowds of people. They weren't rich, and yet they were still so happy. What they needed was each other's company.

 

She turned to him with a warm, bright smile. Gilbert didn't think he'd seen her smile like that the whole time they'd been together. It was nice. He'd always thought she was pretty, but seeing how her face had lightened when she smiled just proved it to him.

 

He realised just then, how much he was going to miss her when this was over.

 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crowd of dancers.

 

"Gilbert?"

 

"Come on!" He laughed, spinning her around.

 

She let out a laugh, a sound of pure joy. They danced around, but this time it was different. This dancing wasn't like the slow waltzes of every ball they'd ever been to. It was happy. It was fun.

 

There was no set routine, people just danced however they felt like it. It was freeing.

 

Gilbert put his hands around Anne's waist as he lifted her up into a spin.

A few of the dancers stopped to watch them.

 

He put her down, their faces close to each other. Anne felt her heart beating but put it down to the dancing. Gilbert smiled at her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he did so.

 

But they were pulled out of whatever moment they had when the crowd started clapping.

 

Gilbert felt around in his pocket and pulled out a few coins, dropping them into the pot by the band.

 

"Shall we get a drink?" He put his hands back in his pockets awkwardly. Both of them were aware of that moment they'd just shared.

 

Anne nodded, "Yeah. All that dancing has made me thirsty."

* * *

 

They walked around a little while to find a local tavern.

 

Gilbert opened the door and Anne stepped in first. It was darker than she thought, a few candles giving the room an orange glow. There were a few windows but the grime and dust built up on them so you could barely see out. It was busy, people here who have clearly been regulars since before Anne was even born. There was an unexpected friendly chatter about the air. It was amazing.

 

Anne took a seat on a stool by one of the few windows while Gilbert ordered them some drinks. She caught sight of a man a few tables away who was looking at her suspiciously, but when Anne had turned to see where Gilbert was, then back to the man, he had gone. She shrugged and Gilbert walked over to her carrying two steins.

 

"I don't really know what this is." He said as he placed one in front of her. "But I just got whatever everyone else seemed to be ordering."

 

Anne sniffed it, it smelled strong and she recoiled. Gilbert chuckled, hoping his eyes weren't giving away too much affection.

 

She took a sip and coughed. "Wow that's bitter."

 

Gilbert took a sip and tilted his head. "It's alright…"

 

She shook her head, "You're lying. I can see you baring your teeth!"

 

He forced a smile. "Nothing fake about it, princess."

 

He froze realising his mistake at calling her princess.

 

Anne looked around but no one seemed to notice.

 

"Sorry, I forgot."

 

"It's alright I think."

 

They talked in hushed whispers but soon they realised no one cared about what they were talking about.

 

Anne gave her drink a few more sips and slowly she began getting used to the taste.

 

"We still need to figure out a way to make money."

 

Gilbert nodded, taking another sip. "At this rate we need a miracle."

 

"Pardon me sir," a man lightly tapped Gilbert on the shoulder. He looked older than them but still young. "I couldn't help but overhear you're in need of a miracle."

 

"We're alright thank you." Gilbert tried to wave him away but the man insisted.

 

"What if I told you I could help? You could be rich."

 

Anne's ears perked up at that. "Rich?"

 

"I don't know…" Gilbert narrowed his eyes at the mysterious stranger.

 

"Names Nathaniel. Nate for short." He held out a grubby hand covered in what looked like soil.

 

"Gilbert and... Cordelia." Gilbert said, choosing to use Anne's fake name.

 

"Are you two betrothed?" He smiled, waving a finger between the two. "Need money for a wedding."

 

"Something like that…" Anne said and Gilbert held back a grin.

 

"Well you're in luck. See I'm a geologist and I happened upon traces of gold here in the mines."

 

"Gold?" Anne leaned forward in her seat.

 

"But unfortunately it requires money to dig up. But if you two here were to kindly help a chap out, perhaps invest temporarily, we could work together. You'll make double if not triple the money you put in."

 

Gilbert didn't seem convinced. Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out a small nugget of gold. "This was all I was able to get. But I know for a fact there is way more down there."

 

Gilbert leaned towards Anne and whispered in her ear. "This sounds dangerous."

 

"Gilbert we don't have much choice. What else can we do?"

 

He leaned back, studying her face. She really trusted this would work.

 

Gilbert closed his eyes briefly before nodding. "Alright, how much do you need?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going on holiday for a week so i probably won't be posting another chapter for a while depending on the internet situation and whether i take my laptop or not.
> 
> so i'll most likely see you when i get back x


	9. Fool's gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter!

Anne and Gilbert agreed to meet Nate at the mines before returning back to the palace so they could get the money.

 

Gilbert kept some money hidden in his room, so he and Anne decided to sneak up, knowing Bash was usually busy during the day.

 

Anne felt a little awkward being in Gilbert's room. It was just a room in _her_ palace, but it still seemed so private like she was trespassing. He had left a sweater discarded on the back of a chair and her copy of Jane Eyre that she'd given back to him to borrow was left on the desk. It was nice, like seeing pieces of his personality scattered about the place. She noticed a small photograph on his bedside table and carefully picked it up.

It was a younger Gilbert, looking about six years old and smiling a goofy grin, missing one of his front teeth. He was with what looked like his father. The man also had a smile. It wasn't an official royal photo, it was a private, family photo.

 

"That's me and my father." Gilbert came up behind her, pointing the the photo.

 

She could feel he was stood very close to her, and couldn't bring herself to turn around.

 

"What about your mother?"

 

He stepped back and she finally turned around. "She died when I was born. It was just my father and I for so long. But he also got sick...so the kingdom is my responsibility now."

 

Anne looked down a moment and then met his eyes. "My parents both died when I was a baby too. That's why Marilla is in charge, until I'm old enough and married."

 

She felt herself blush at the word "married" for some reason. "But I think I'm capable of running the kingdom by myself. And this money will prove that to Marilla."

 

"I don't doubt for a second you'll be the greatest Queen this Kingdom has ever known."

 

They held each other's gaze again, Anne feeling her heart in her throat.

 

"Anne?" Gilbert whispered, stepping closer to her.

 

"Yeah?" She looked up at him, deciding that whatever was about to happen she would let happen.

 

"I...I uh," he tilted his head and she began to lean in to.

 

"Blythe?" Bash's voice made them jump about ten feet apart.

 

"Bash?" Gilbert's voice increased an octave. "Why are you here? You're normally busy helping with wedding prep."

 

Bash looked at Anne and then grinned. "Glad to see you two finally getting along. Maybe too well?"

 

Gilbert and Anne exchanged an awkward glance.

 

"What? No. Ew!"

 

"Gross. We're not-"

 

They started talking over each other and Bash just laughed. "Ah, young lovers."

 

"We're not-" Anne began to say but Bash had already started leaving.

 

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. I won't tell the Duchess."

 

Anne hid her burning face in her hands. Gilbert awkwardly shuffled on his feet.

 

"I'll uh...get the money." He said and disappeared to find a bag of coins.

 

Anne put her hand over her heart, trying to calm it down. That was a close call…

* * *

 

"Anne?" Diana caught Anne and Gilbert sneaking down the staircase. "Are you going somewhere?"

 

Anne froze but Gilbert handled the situation. "We're going on a stroll around the castle grounds."

 

Diana looked at Anne, "Is that true?"

 

Anne nodded, "Uh huh, yep. We're going on a platonic stroll. As friends."

 

Diana narrowed her eyes and Anne knew she couldn't lie. 

 

"Fine. We're going to the mines. We have a way to end this marriage."

 

"Anne this is dangerous." Diana grabbed her hand but Anne shook her off.

 

"Diana, we'll be fine. I promise."

 

Diana nodded, letting them go.

* * *

 

Gilbert and Anne took two of the palace horses and made their way to the mines. When they arrived, Nate had already set up equipment.

 

He took the money from Gilbert, grinning as he did so. "This should cover the expenses. Thank you."

 

Gilbert seemed skeptical, but Anne placed her hand over his. "This will work. And then we'll be free. We won't have to get married."

 

He gave her a fake smile, his stomach sinking a little. 

 

"Freedom." He tried to laugh and Anne smiled back.

 

"You ready?" Nate clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "I'll show you where the gold is."

 

Gilbert gestured for Anne to follow Nate and he followed behind them into the darkness. They each had a lantern.

 

Nate suddenly stopped walking when they reached an open cavern in the mine. There was an old mine cart, a few barrels, and some pickaxes. There were a few rocks lying about on the floor, but along the walls were flecks of gold shining from the tiny beam of light from the tunnel behind them.

 

Anne's eyes grew wide. She ran her hand along the walls, holding the lantern up to see better.

 

Nate picked up an axe and pulled some gold out of the wall, placing it in Gilbert's hand. 

 

"Wow." He studied it, but then he noticed something. It didn't seem quite right. 

 

"I'm going to go get some of the other guys and we'll get mining. Feel free to have a look around." Nate tipped his cap and left the mine.

 

Once Nate was gone, Gilbert turned to Anne. "We've been tricked."

 

"What? Gilbert stop being ridiculous."

 

He held up the gold. "This isn't real gold. It's too sparkly, a bit like a diamond. Gold isn't like this. It's pyrite."

 

"Pyrite?"

 

"More commonly known as-"

 

"Fool's Gold…" Anne finished his sentence.

 

There came a loud noise of what sounded like rocks caving in.

 

Gilbert dropped the pyrite and ran through the tunnel, Anne quickly following behind.

 

But when they got there, they found only darkness. The entrance to the mine had fallen in.

 

"What the…?" Gilbert pushed against the wall. "He's locked us in?"

 

Anne hit the wall with her fists. "LET US OUT!" she started screaming.

 

"HELP!" Gilbert shouted.

 

"Thank you for your generous donation." Nate shouted from behind the rocks. He  _ had  _ tricked them.

 

"By order of the Princess of Avonlea I demand you let us out!"

 

But it was no use. 

 

"He's probably long gone with our money." Gilbert slumped to the floor, running a hand through his hair.

 

" _ Your  _ money." Anne corrected.

 

She hadn't seen him so down. Suddenly, Gilbert stood up, marching through the tunnels.

 

"Gilbert what are you doing?"

 

He kicked a rock against the wall and it broke.

 

"He took the pickaxe!" Gilbert became frantic. She thought he'd remain calm but he wasn't. He was angry. It was so unlike him. "We can't dig our way out. We're trapped."

 

He sunk to the floor, leaning back against the wall.

 

"I'm sorry Anne. I should've stopped this."

 

Anne sat down next to him. "Gilbert, Diana knows we're here. I don't doubt she's on her way right now with Jerry to come save us."

 

He sighed. "I know. But it's still my fault for giving him the money. I should've...I should've just grabbed your hand and run when I had a bad feeling."

 

"No it's my fault. I should've just done my duty and gotten married." She leaned her head back against the wall.

 

"You did what you thought was best for your kingdom." He looked down at his hands. "Having some random prince interfering isn't what they need. But being stuck down here with him isn't helping either."

 

She smiled a little, looking at him out the corner of her eye. "For what it's worth, you're not the  _ worst  _ person to be stuck with." 

 

He looked down at her, "Is Princess Anne giving  _ me  _ an almost compliment?"

 

"Shut up." She playfully nudged him. 

 

"You can't deny we're at least friends now." 

 

She shrugged. "I don't know."

 

He laughed, "You know we were born to be the best of friends Anne. You've thwarted destiny long enough."

 

She rolled her eyes, "Is that so?"

 

He smiled his cheesy grin, "You can't thwart destiny Anne, no matter how hard you try."

 

She laughed, then sighed, letting her head fall against his shoulder. Part of her wished Diana would take her time. Once they were out of here, Anne didn't know what would happen. The wedding would probably be called off, Gilbert lost a lot of money and Marilla would no doubt start looking for a richer prince, maybe that Roy again. She shuddered at the thought.

 

Gilbert watched her, scared to move in case he frightened her away. He didn't know when it had started, but he knew he'd fallen for her. She wasn't afraid to challenge him, but when it came down to the important stuff, they'd found common ground. He liked how passionate she was about things, how she was willing to do whatever it takes for her kingdom. 

 

He took a deep breath, preparing himself to tell her how he felt. "Anne, I-"

 

But once again he was interrupted. Anne's eye had landed on something shining on the floor and she leapt up.

 

"Gilbert look!" 

 

He followed her over to where she had crouched down. It was the rock he had kicked earlier. He hadn't thought anything of it other than that it had broken when it smashed against the wall.

 

Anne turned it over in her hands, revealing the sparkling from inside. 

 

"Are these-"

 

"Geodes." Anne smiled, holding up half of the rock, brimming with crystals.

 

They gave each other a knowing smile. Maybe they hadn't found gold, but they'd found crystals. The kingdom would be saved.

 

She dropped it, throwing her arms around Gilbert's neck. He picked her up, spinning her around. They were both caught up in the moment, forgetting that this meant they wouldn't have to get married anymore.

 

When Gilbert remembered, he let her down. "Congratulations." He held out his hand to her. "You're kingdom can trade these. You won't need our money...or what's left of it…"

 

She felt cold wash over her. "Oh...oh of course."

 

"We'll still be friends."

 

Anne looked down, "Sure... friends."

 

They looked at each other in silence. 

 

"I'm going to miss you." Gilbert suddenly said. Anne looked up at him. At his stupid sad, handsome eyes. She thought about how every other prince she'd met had been stuck up and shallow. But not Gilbert. Sure they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, but that Gilbert she'd met in the market place was the real Gilbert. He was kind, he was genuine, he had ambitions. He seemed to care about things that interested her. When was she going to find a better prince?

 

Without thinking she stepped closer. Anne's hands clasped the back of Gilbert's neck, pulling him towards her and pressed on her tiptoes to kiss him.

 

His dumbstruck look when they pulled apart almost made Anne kiss him again. 

 

"What if you stayed in Avonlea?" She scanned his face trying to read any potential signs of him rejecting her. But there was nothing but sincerity in his face. "You could still study to be a doctor, and we could rule as equals. Bash is welcome and-"

 

He cut her off, this time being the one to initiate the kiss. When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers. "I thought you didn't need a prince?"

 

She laughed, "I don't. I just want _ you _ ."

 

He was about to lean in again when a muffled shout came from outside.

 

They ran hand in hand to the collapsed entrance. 

 

"Anne?" Diana's voice could be heard. 

 

"Blythe?" Bash.

 

"We're here!" They shouted.

 

"We'll get you out! Hold on!" Diana shouted.

 

Gilbert and Anne stood back, their hands interlocked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of a longer chapter and I wasn't quite sure how it was going to go so it might be a little incoherent haha


	10. Wishes come true

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while. My primary fandom is stranger things and season 3 just dropped so I've been focusing on that but I needed to finish this fic.

Bash and Diana got help from the miners (and Jerry) to pull away all the rocks from the mine entrance, freeing Anne and Gilbert.

 

They told the miners to continue extracting the geodes from the mines while they rushed back to the palace.

 

"Marilla!" Anne burst into Marilla's room, Gilbert behind her.

 

Marilla looked briefly at their joined hands but before she could comment Anne had started explaining.

 

"The mines. We have a way to save the kingdom."

 

"Anne slow down." Marilla stood up from where she was sat at her table taking tea. "What on _earth_ has happened to your appearance?"

 

Anne looked at her dress that was covered in coal, her hair falling loose. She looked at Gilbert and he was similarly disheveled with coal all over his face, she assumed she also had similar smudges across her face.

 

"It's a long story." She said. "We thought we would find gold but we got tricked and trapped in the mines but it's alright because we found geodes and crystals we can trade. They're valuable like gold!"

 

Marilla looked in stunned silence between Anne and Gilbert.

 

"You got trapped in the mines?"

 

"You're missing the point."

 

Gilbert let go of Anne's hand and delved into his pocket, pulling out a half of the rock he'd smashed earlier. The crystals shone in the light and he held it up to Marilla. "Does this help?"

 

Marilla took the rock from him and examined it. "This…"

 

Gilbert looked at Anne, but she was watching Marilla's reaction.

 

"You saved the kingdom." Marilla stepped towards Anne, pulling her in for a hug.

 

Marilla wasn't one for showing physical affection often, but Anne knew she was loved. But this was one of those times Marilla showed how she felt.

 

Anne returned the hug, and Gilbert smiled, happy that Anne had gotten what she wanted.

 

Marilla pulled out of the hug, still holding Anne's arms. "You know what this means. We agreed if you found a way to save the kingdom, you wouldn't have to get married."

 

Anne nodded, but looked over her shoulder at Gilbert. He was looking away, pretending like he wasn't listening. But she shook her head, turning back to Marilla.

 

"Unless…" Marilla raised an eyebrow.

 

Anne stepped back and grabbed Gilbert's hand again. "I don't need a king to rule to kingdom for me. But working with Gilbert has made me realise that it's ok to have help sometimes... Perhaps we could rule as _equals._ "

 

"Does this mean-"

 

"I want to marry Gilbert." It took her so long to admit it to herself, but finally saying it out loud made her feel insanely happy.

 

"You do?" Gilbert wasn't sure if she had just been caught up in the moment earlier, but actually hearing her say those words made him break out into the hugest smile.

 

"And he can continue studying to be a doctor if he wishes. Someone once told me wishes are special and we should take every chance to make them come true."

 

Anne smiled, remembering the words he'd told her the first day they met.

 

"Well," Marilla put her hands over her heart watching those two together. She was happy Anne was finally happy. "I don't see I should stand in your way."

 

"We should have a ball to celebrate." Anne said, lightly tugging on Gilbert's hand in her excitement. "To celebrate saving the kingdom but also our engagement. For real this time."

 

"For real this time." Gilbert whispered, holding back a smile.

 

* * *

 

 

Gilbert stood at the top of the grand staircase. The music was playing, the ball already in swing. He tugged at his finery nervously.

 

"Were you waiting for me?"

 

He looked up and almost fell down the stairs.

 

"Anne...you look...wow…" was all he managed to say. Seeing Anne in her ball gown left him speechless.

 

"You look wow yourself." She laughed, linking her arm in his. "Shall we?"

 

They descended the stairs, the crowd stopping and staring at them. There was no denying there was something different between them than the first time they made their appearance together.

 

They started dancing to the music, but Anne's grip on Gilbert's hand tightened.

 

"Gilbert...I…" she looked down. "I just wanted to say…"

 

"Yeah?" He tilted his head.

 

"My wish that day we met...it came true." She smiled at him.

 

"And what was your wish?" He raised an eyebrow.

 

"I wished I wouldn't have to marry a stranger, that I'd marry someone I love."

 

He dropped his hands to her waist and picked her up, spinning her around as he smiled.

 

"Gilbert!" She caught her breath as he dropped her back down.

 

"See?" He grinned, "You can't thwart destiny."

 

He cupped her cheek and leaned in, kissing her softly. "I love you too."

 

 


End file.
